Standard Room Twin Beds
One of the two smaller rooms on the pool side, about fifteen square metres, with two single beds.
Lodges & partnersZanzibar East Coast
Kholle Villa
Six rooms in a contemporary white house at Mwendawima, a minute back from the Jambiani sand, with a pool in the garden and a rooftop that looks straight out over the lagoon.
From $35 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Comfort
- six room villa hotel
- Location
- Zanzibar East Coast
About
About Kholle Villa.
Kholle Villa sits in Mwendawima, a hamlet at the northern end of Jambiani on the south east coast of Unguja. It is a house rather than a hotel: six bedrooms, a pool in the garden, a lounge and dining room on the ground floor, a terrace above it for dinner, and a rooftop with day beds where most guests end up. The building is deliberately modern, white and uncluttered, which makes it unusual on a coast of thatch and coral rag. It opened in 2023 and is run by its manager and a small team who live the work rather than perform it, which is what almost every guest writes about afterwards.
The beach is about fifty metres away, across the village road and down a short sandy path, which is a minute on foot. Jambiani is a working village of fishing and seaweed farming strung along seven kilometres of white sand, quieter and far less touted than the north of the island. The tide runs the day here. At high water the lagoon comes in turquoise and you swim off the sand. At low water it draws back several hundred metres and the flats become a walking place of sandbars, tide pools and the staked rows of the seaweed farms, worked mostly by the women of the village. That is when guests use the pool or the rooftop, and it is worth knowing before you book rather than after.
The rooms divide into two standard rooms on the pool side, around fifteen square metres each with two single beds, and four larger deluxe rooms of thirty two to forty five square metres, facing either the pool and garden or the sea, each with a terrace. Every room has air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net, a safe and a private bathroom with a shower. Breakfast is cooked in the house and served on the terrace, and the kitchen runs a set dinner in the evening for anyone who wants it. Fresh flowers appear in the rooms each morning, which sounds like a small thing and is mentioned in half the reviews.
It suits couples, honeymooners and small families who want to stay inside a real village rather than behind a resort gate, and it suits a group of friends or a family who want the whole house: the property sells exclusive use of all six bedrooms for up to twelve guests. It is not the place for anyone who needs a swimming beach at every hour or a resort with several restaurants.
Getting here is one flight and one drive. Zanzibar international airport is about fifty five kilometres away, roughly an hour by road, and Stone Town is about the same. The property arranges transfers on request and charges them separately.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
The rooftop at the end of the day
Day beds and loungers above the village with an open view across the lagoon. It is the part of the house guests describe first and the reason most of them stay in rather than go out.
The flats at low tide
When the sea pulls back you can walk out several hundred metres over sandbars and tide pools among the staked seaweed rows. Ask at breakfast for the tide times and take something on your feet.
Kuza Cave
A limestone cave with a clear freshwater pool at the northern end of Jambiani, about ten minutes away, run as a culture centre with drumming and Swahili cooking.
The whole house to yourselves
All six bedrooms, the pool, the terraces and the rooftop taken exclusively for up to twelve guests, which the property sells for families, groups of friends and celebrations.
Dinner on the first floor terrace
The kitchen cooks one set menu each evening, eaten upstairs with the village going quiet below. Booked with the property during the day.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Standard Room Double Bed
The standard room in a double bed configuration, on the pool side of the house.
Deluxe Room Pool View
The largest room, around forty five square metres, with a terrace over the pool and garden. Takes a third guest.
Deluxe Room Sea View
Two rooms of about thirty two square metres with terraces facing the water. Each takes a third guest.
Deluxe Master Bedroom Sea View
The master room of the house, sea facing, the largest and quietest of the bedrooms. Takes a third guest.
Privatisation of the Entire Villa
All six bedrooms, the pool, both terraces and the rooftop taken exclusively for up to twelve guests.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Swimming Pool In The Garden
- Rooftop terrace with day beds and sun loungers
- First Floor Terrace For Dining
- Ground floor lounge and dining area
- Restaurant Serving The House Menu
- Free WiFi Throughout
- Air Conditioning In Every Room
- Ceiling Fans And Mosquito Nets
- Safe In Room
- Private Bathroom With Shower
- Terrace or balcony with most rooms
- Room Service
- 24 Hour Security
- Massage On Request
- Laundry Service
- Luggage Storage
- Tour Desk For Excursions
- Airport Transfer On Request
- Free Parking
- Babysitting On Request
- Exclusive use of the whole villa on request
Best for
- Honeymoon
- Couples
- Small Families
- Groups Taking The Whole House
- Beach Extension After Safari
- Quiet Stays
Wildlife and nature
- Starfish, urchins and octopus on the reef flat at low tide
- Dolphins on the boat trips from Kizimkazi, about forty minutes south
- Red colobus monkeys at Jozani forest, about half an hour inland
- Reef fish and rays on the Blue Lagoon snorkelling trips
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: not a best month
- April: closed
- May: closed
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: not a best month
- December: best
Best monthsClosed
Best months: June to October and December to February. Closed in April to May.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Zanzibar East Coast
Arriving by air
Fly Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar in about an hour and twenty minutes, then transfer by road about one hour to Jambiani. There is no airstrip on the south east coast, so Zanzibar is the arrival airport for the whole island.
By road
Zanzibar is reached by air. From Kilimanjaro International it is about an hour and twenty minutes in the air to Zanzibar, then a road transfer of roughly one hour south east to Jambiani, about fifty five kilometres.
On the map
Where it sits.
6.337° S, 39.554° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Accommodation in the room category booked, for the number of guests the published price covers
- Breakfast Daily
- Private bathroom with shower in every room
- Use Of The Swimming Pool
- Use Of The Rooftop Terrace
- Room Service
- WiFi Throughout The Property
- Air Conditioning
- Safe In Room
- 24 Hour Security
Not included
- Lunch and dinner. Half board is offered at 20 USD per guest per day and 10 USD for a child under 12, and full board at 35 USD per guest per day and 15 USD for a child under 12, added to your booking
- Anything taken from the restaurant or the lounge outside breakfast
- Zanzibar infrastructure tax of 2 USD per guest per night, collected by the property at reception
- Transfers, including the airport transfer the property arranges on request
- Activities And Excursions
- Massages And Treatments
- Tips And Gratuities
- Items Of A Personal Nature
- Zanzibar inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per person for the whole stay, compulsory and bought online at visitzanzibar.go.tz before arrival
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many rooms does Kholle Villa have?
Six: two standard rooms on the pool side and four larger deluxe rooms, one facing the pool and garden and three facing the sea, including the master bedroom. The whole house sleeps twelve.
Where exactly is it?
In Mwendawima, a hamlet at the northern end of Jambiani on the south east coast of Unguja. The sea is about fifty metres away across the village road and a short sandy path, which is a minute on foot.
How do guests get there?
Fly into Zanzibar international airport, then drive about fifty five kilometres south east, which takes around an hour. The property arranges transfers on request and charges them separately. Stone Town is about an hour away.
What is included in the rate?
Breakfast, the room with its private bathroom, the pool, the rooftop terrace, room service, wifi, air conditioning, a safe and 24 hour security. Lunch and dinner are offered as half board or full board supplements.
Is there anything paid at the property?
Yes. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of 2 USD per guest per night is collected at reception, and transfers, excursions, massages and anything from the restaurant or lounge are settled directly.
Are families with children welcome?
Yes. Children under four stay free, and the deluxe rooms take a third guest, whether a child of four to twelve or an adult. The two standard rooms take two guests only. Babysitting can be arranged.
Can we book the whole villa?
Yes. The property sells exclusive use of all six bedrooms, the pool, both terraces and the rooftop for up to twelve guests, which it offers for families, groups of friends, retreats and celebrations.
When is the best time to visit?
June to October and late December to February are the dry windows on this coast. The property closes each year from the middle of April to the end of May, which is the heart of the long rains.
What is the beach like?
It is a tidal lagoon beach. At high tide the water comes in turquoise and you swim off the sand. At low tide it pulls back several hundred metres and the flats become a walking place of sandbars, tide pools and seaweed farms. The pool and the rooftop cover the hours in between.
Is there a restaurant?
Yes. Breakfast is cooked in the house and served on the terrace, and the kitchen runs a set dinner in the evening. Jambiani village has more places to eat within walking distance.
Is there a minimum stay?
None is published on the rate sheet, in any season.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free of charge more than thirty days before arrival. From thirty days to arrival the full booking is charged. A deposit of twenty percent confirms the reservation and the balance clears a month before you travel.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. Visitors to Zanzibar must hold the Zanzibar inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per person for the whole stay, bought online at visitzanzibar.go.tz before arrival. Tanzania residents are exempt. If you enter mainland Tanzania first for a safari, the mainland policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
Kuza Cave
A limestone cave with a freshwater swimming pool at the northern end of Jambiani, about ten minutes by road, run as a culture centre.
Paje
The kitesurfing beach about ten to fifteen minutes north, with more places to eat and drink and a busier stretch of sand.
Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park
About half an hour inland on the road back to Stone Town. The last stand of the island forest and the place to see the red colobus, taken as a half day.
Kizimkazi
The southern fishing village, about forty minutes away, where the dolphin boats leave from in the early morning.
The Rock
The restaurant standing on its own outcrop off Michamvi, about half an hour north. You walk to it or take a boat depending on the tide.
Stone Town
The old quarter of Zanzibar City, about an hour by road. Carved doors, the spice market and the waterfront, usually a half day on the way to or from the airport.
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